About the AP Studio Art Portfolio The AP Studio Art Program consists of three portfolios—2-D Design, 3-D Design, and Drawing—corresponding to the most common college foundation courses. Each of the AP Studio Art portfolios share a basic, three-section structure, which requires students to show a fundamental competence and range of understanding in visual concern. Each of the portfolios asks the student to demonstrate a depth of investigation and process of discovery through the Concentration section. In the Breadth section, the student is asked to demonstrate a serious grounding in visual principles and material techniques. The Quality section permits students to select the works that best exhibit a synthesis of form, technique, and content. AP Studio Art portfolios should address three major concerns that are constants in the teaching of art: (1) a sense of quality in a student’s work; (2) the student’s concentration on a particular visual interest or problem; and (3) the student’s need for breadth of experience in the formal, technical, and expressive means of the artist. AP work reflects these three areas of concern: quality, concentration, and breadth. Portfolios are sent to the AP Program for evaluation via a digital, Web-based submission process in late spring of each year (Drawing and 2D Design students also submit actual artworks in addition to digital images of their work). Traditionally, portfolio development is a year-long process for students and teachers, culminating in the submission of students’ work as the portfolio Exam for AP Studio Art. Each year the tens of thousands of portfolios that are submitted are reviewed by college, university, and high school AP Studio Art instructors using a set of rigorous standards called Scoring Guidelines. These same Scoring Guidelines are used by teachers and students as a guide in creating their portfolios.
The AP Studio Art Program consists of three portfolios—2-D Design, 3-D Design, and
Drawing—corresponding to the most common college foundation courses. Each of the AP Studio Art portfolios share a basic, three-section structure, which requires students to show a fundamental competence and range of understanding in visual concern. Each of the portfolios asks the student to demonstrate a depth of investigation and process of discovery through the Concentration section. In the Breadth section, the student is asked to demonstrate a serious grounding in visual principles and material techniques. The Quality section permits students to select the works that best exhibit a synthesis of form, technique, and content. AP Studio Art portfolios should address three major concerns that are constants in the teaching of art: (1) a sense of quality in a student’s work; (2) the student’s concentration on a particular visual interest or problem; and (3) the student’s need for breadth of experience in the formal, technical, and expressive means of the artist. AP work reflects these three areas of concern: quality, concentration, and breadth. Portfolios are sent to the AP Program for evaluation via a digital, Web-based submission process in late spring of each year (Drawing and 2D Design students also submit actual artworks in addition to digital images of their work). Traditionally, portfolio development is a year-long process for students and teachers, culminating in the submission of students’ work as the portfolio Exam for AP Studio Art. Each year
the tens of thousands of portfolios that are submitted are reviewed by college, university, and high school AP Studio Art instructors using a set of rigorous standards called Scoring Guidelines. These same Scoring Guidelines are used by teachers and students as a guide in creating their portfolios.